In this information age, there are massive quantities of data available. Organizing those massive quantities of data into usable information is a formidable task. Furthermore, it is extremely difficult to maximize utilization of the available data in order to respond to queries on that data. Nevertheless, as headway is made into these problems, a human being's ability to learn based on prior collective experience of mankind is accelerated. Such advances promise to not only promote, but accelerate, the progress of science and the useful arts using technology itself.
Typically, data is organized into datasets that have some structure, or schema, associated with it, and sometimes metadata that may describe the meaning of the schema. Datasets can, however, be very large. In order to distill the information into a more mentally digestible form, parameterized reports are often authored. The parameterized report defines which information is to be extracted from the dataset, how the data values are to be extracted (including parameters to control data selection), and how the resulting data is to be structured. The parameterized report produces a new structure for a portion of the data of the dataset so as to focus on a particular aspect of the information within the dataset. Such newly structured data may also include visualizations.
Often, there may be numerous parameterized reports that provide different structured data views on the underlying dataset. If a different view on the dataset is desired, then typically a new parameterized report is constructed. Often a dataset has a collection of parameterized reports that may be used to provided focused reports on particular aspects of the dataset.
The subject matter claimed herein is not limited to embodiments that solve any disadvantages or that operate only in environments such as those described above. Rather, this background is only provided to illustrate one exemplary technology area where some embodiments described herein may be practiced.